It is known in the prior art to use a drive-over hopper with a conveyor belt or auger therein to receive grain or other granular material from the outlet of a belly-dump grain truck or trailer, or other bottom-discharge vehicle, and use this first conveyor or auger to convey the material laterally outward from beneath the vehicle, and into a inclined auger or conveyor that conveys the material further onward to an elevated target location, such as the top opening of a storage bin.
Examples of prior drive-over hopper designs used for grain handling in the agricultural industry include the PitStop™ drive-over belt conveyor by Batco Manufacturing, the Gulp™ drive-over belt conveyor by Wesfield industries, the GrainDeck™ drive-over belt conveyor by Brandt Agricultural Products Ltd., and the Pit Express™ drive-over auger conveyor by Mast Productions Inc.
The GrainDeck™ and PitStop™ products are defined separately of the main auger that conveys the grain to its elevated target destination, thus needing to be transported and powered independently of the main auger. The Gulp™ has the advantage of being attached to the swing tube of the main auger, and foldable into a stowed position alongside same for convenient transport as a single unit.
However, there remains room for further improvement.
For example, the prior art involves lifting and lowering of the drive-over hopper into and out of a ground-seated position placing a robust, thick-profile, rigid frame of the hopper on the ground in order to bear the weight of the vehicle when driven thereover. The hopper remains stationary in this ground level parked position, and the vehicle is maneuvered relative to the stationary hopper to properly align the outlet of the vehicle over the hopper. Unloading of multi-outlet vehicles thus requires maneuvering of the vehicle relative to the stationary drive-over hopper between unloading steps in order to properly align the drive-over hopper below the appropriate outlet of the vehicle. It would be desirable to simplify the process of obtaining proper alignment between the vehicle and drive-over hopper by enabling convenient movement of the drive-over hopper relative to a parked position of the vehicle.
Another problem faced not only by drive-over conveyor belts, but also by conveyor belts used in other contexts, is that the pieces of the granular material or other debris can get into the space between the top and bottom runs of the belt, and then become crushed between the belt and the rollers. Over time, such material can build up on the rollers and/or the belt, and have detrimental effects.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a new and improved conveyor designs that overcome or mitigate the forgoing shortcomings in the prior art.